Pinar Del Rio Reserva Superior Salomon

In August of 2012, Pinar del Rio debuted a new vitola in the Reserva Superior line at the IPCPR show in Orlando, Fla., a 6 x 66 Salomon that would be limited to 1,000 boxes of 10 with each cigar in its own coffins. The defining characteristic of the Reserva Superior blend is that made up of about 90 percent Ligero tobaccos, making it the strongest Pinar del Rio to date.

PDR Cigars USA, which boasts some of the most distinctive blend profiles in the premium boutique cigar market is excited to announce the release of their most artisanal vitola to date, the 6×66 Salomon which will debut at this year’s IPCPR trade show in Orlando, FL on August 2nd.

The Reserva Superior Line is a Limited Edition line first introduced by PDR Cigars at last year’s IPCPR convention in Las Vegas with a 2000 box production run that was only available at the convention. The Reserva Superior Salomon will be a terrific addition to the portfolio. The Salomon will sport a double wrapper comprised of a maduro coupled with a natural wrapper at the foot and on the head of the stem. With an 80 year history in cigar making the PDR Cigars factory will showcase the skill and attention to detail possessed by its master rollers in the making of this beautiful offering. Now in its 8th year of independent operation, under the leadership of Abraham Flores PDR Cigars has continued to offer cigar enthusiasts a solid selection of flavorful, well-made cigars. The Reserva Superior Salomon will be yet another testament to PDR Cigars’ commitment in that regard.

“I felt that it was important at this stage in our brand to offer something truly special and limited to the consumers that really enjoy the brand. The Salomon also allows us to offer something super exclusive to the family of retailers that support the brand as well,” Said Abe Flores, President of PDR Cigars. “This is truly a connoisseur’s cigar”.

The Limited Edition Salomon will be packaged 10 cigars to a box and each individual cigar will be nestled inside a coffin. The blend for the Salomon is the same as the rest of the Resreva Superior line. The primary wrapper is Dominican Habano while the binder is Brazilian. The filler is Dominican, Nicaraguan, and Lancaster PA. The Reserva Superior Salomon will only be available at the IPCPR convention in Orlando FL next week. With a box production of only 500 this rare offering will be limited to select retailers throughout the country.

“We’ve enjoyed great support from our family of retailers and we’re excited to have the opportunity to provide them with this truly limited cigar. We enjoyed making the Salomon and designing the packaging as well. It’s really a special project,” Said Flores.

There are now four different vitolas in the Reserva Superior line, three of which are regular production. They are:

Robusto (5 x 52)

Toro (6 x 54)

Torpedo (6 1/2 x 52)

Salomon (6 x 66) – 2,000 Boxes of 10 Cigars (20,000 Total Cigars)

Here is what the boxes and coffins the Pinar Del Rio Reserva Superior Salomon look like:

Cigar Reviewed:Pinar Del Rio Reserva Superior Salomon

Country of Origin: Dominican Republic

Factory: PDR Cigars

Wrapper: Brazil

Binder:Dominican Republic & Nicaragua

Filler: Dominican Ligero, Nicaraguan Ligero & Pennsylvania Ligero

Size: 6 Inches

Ring Gauge: 66

Vitola: Salomon

MSRP: $15.00 (Boxes of 10, $150.00)

Date Released:November 2012

Cigars Released: 2,000 Boxes of 10 Cigars (20,000 Total Cigars)

Number of Cigars Smoked for Review: 2

The Pinar Del Rio Reserva Superior Salomon is an impressive looking cigar right off the bat with a shaggy end on the foot and a natural tobacco tip on the foot. The wrapper is an extremely dark espresso brown is rough to the touch, and has just a great amount of oil on it. It is a little stiff when squeezed and the aroma off of the wrapper is a faint oak and chocolate notes.

The first third of the PDR Reserva Superior Salomon starts off with strong flavors of wood, leather, bitter espresso, earth and a somewhat interesting dark chocolate and cocoa mix, almost powdery in texture. There is just a tiny amount of sweetness in the background, but not enough at this moment to determine what flavor it is. The draw is extremely tight to start off, but opens up nicely after the crown of the bulb is reached. The burn is spot on and smoke production is enormous through the first third, white and billowing. Overall strength starts out slightly below medium and ends the first third at a solid medium.

Coming into the second third of the Pinar Del Rio, the profile is essentially the same: gritty earth, dark chocolate, bitter espresso and leather. There is noticeably more pepper on the retrohale by the halfway point, and the construction continues to impress. The sweetness from the first third has increased a bit, and while it is a welcome change, it is still fairly generic. Smoke production is great, but still short of Liga Privada levels. The strength is noticeably stronger, ending the second third just short of the full category.

The final third of the Reserva Superior Salomon retains most of the profile of the second third with dark coca, earth, espresso and leather notes leading the way. One big change is the sweetness, which has become more distinct, and is now identifiable as a mild cherry flavor. The amount of pepper on the retrohale remains constant until the end, as does the smoke production. Both the burn and draw continue to impress, and the overall strength ends well into the full category.

The cigars for this specific vitola came packaged ten to a box, each in their own individual coffins. The coffins have foam inside to protect the cigars which is a nice touch, but there is still about one inch of free space in-between the top of the cigar and four of ten plumes on the caps were still broken off regardless. Having said that, the overall look of the box and coffins combined with the look of the actual cigars is extremely impressive.

I love the way the silver and black bands look against the dark wrapper of the cigar, very classy and distinctive.

Although the Pinar Del Rio Reserva Superior Salomon was officially released at the IPCPR show in August of 2012, they did not start shipping until November of that year.

Both burn and draw are phenomenal for the entire cigar, after the bulb, which in fairness, is a problem with all cigars of that vitola.

PDR recently announced a new line, the Flores y Rodriguez Exclusivo, which is made up of six different vitolas, each of which are being sold at a different store.

I have never really liked the Salomon vitola, not because of the size or ring gauge, but because I have to pull like I am smoking through a straw until the burn hits the bulb after the nipple.

I am impressed with the Pinar Del Rio website, which lists not only the vitolas in each line they make, but also the actual blend of each, although the blend for the Pinar Del Rio Reserva Superior Salomon seems to be incorrect on the site. I really wish more manufactures would take a page from them in that regard.

Having read about this cigar before I smoked it, I honestly expected it to be stronger than it turned out to be. This might be explained in part by the fact that the profile is extremely smooth, so much so that it seems to hide the strength well until the final third, where it does sneak up on you if you are not careful.

The ash is fairly flaky in nature, and really does not hold on for more than about 1/2 inch before falling at any point. Don’t smoke this over a laptop.

The cigars smoked for this review were sent to halfwheel by site sponsor Cigar King.

The final smoking time for both samples averaged one hour and 45 minutes.

If you would like purchase some of the Pinar Del Rio Reserva Superior Salomon, site sponsors Cigar King and Atlantic Cigar have them in stock.

87Overall Score

While not the most complex of cigars, the Pinar Del Rio Reserva Superior Salomon has an extremely smooth profile with great construction and fairly classic flavors. While cool to look at, the Salomon vitola fights you in the beginning with draw problems, but the issues become a faint memory by the time the smoke ends. The strength easily hits the full category, but takes its time getting there, so don't be surprised when it finally hits you. Overall, an enjoyable cigar to smoke after a full meal.

I have been smoking cigars for over eight years. A documentary wedding photographer by trade, I spent seven years as a photojournalist for the Dallas Morning News and the Fort Worth Star Telegram. I started the cigar blog SmokingStogie in 2008 after realizing that there was a need for a cigar blog with better photographs and more in-depth information about each release. SmokingStogie quickly became one of the more influential cigar blogs on the internet, known for reviewing preproduction, prerelease, rare, extremely hard-to-find and expensive cigars. I am a co-founder of halfwheel and now serve as an editor for halfwheel.